School Library Journal - 11/01/2014 PreS-K—Best friends since birth, Cat and Bunny do everything together, from eating lunch to riding bikes. They are inseparable until the day Quail asks to join in their special "Made-Up Game." Bunny cheerfully agrees, but Cat is reluctant. When more and more children join in, Cat slinks away. As she sits under a tree, hoping that Bunny will come and get her, she meets a new friend—a real kitten. As they are playing a new Made-Up Game with a ball of yarn, Giraffe asks to play, and so does another friend and another. Soon, all of the children—including Bunny—have gathered to play, and all strife is forgotten. Dainty pencil and watercolor illustrations on white backgrounds imbue this story with playfulness and light. Though it's not entirely clear why the children are depicted wearing animal suits à la Anne Geddes, their attire adds extra whimsy to the ordinary but entirely relatable tale about the ever-changing nature of friendships.—Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 01/01/2015 How cute are Cat and Bunny? Born on the same day, they do everything together—ride bikes, play, eat lunch. “Friends forever!” says Bunny. “Just us!” says Cat. Even very young children may guess what comes next. Their favorite made-up game is interrupted by Quail, who wants to play. Bunny says yes, and yes to all the others who want in. A left-out Cat hides and waits for Bunny to find her, but Bunny is busy. When a kitten shows up, pushing a ball of red string, Cat invents a new made-up game and is only too happy to let Giraffe play, too. Eventually, all the other little ones come, and finally, Bunny. Will Cat let her play? Of course! The characters, either children dressed as animals, or animals with the faces of children, are the most pleasing part of the whimsical colored-pencil artwork, which uses the softest of colors and shapes and is just right for the age group. Don’t forget to show kids the adorable endpapers on which the cast frolics. The title page, on which each appears as a swaddled baby (already wearing caps with ears), is delish. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 03/01/2015 Best friends Cat (a little girl in a cat costume) and Bunny (a little boy in a rabbit costume) do everything together-until the day that Quail asks to join in. Cat hesitates, but Bunny welcomes Quail into the game. More children join the group, each with Bunny’s hearty approval, and jealous Cat runs away (“Cat sat all alone, waiting for Bunny to come find her. But Bunny didn’t come”). Cat does encounter a (real) kitten, though, and soon other kids join her in playing with it; finally even Bunny comes over to ask permission to play, and Cat welcomes him with open arms. The costuming of the kids is an original visual approach to this friendship tale, and the topic of sharing one’s best friend with others is right on target for the young audience. While Cat and Bunny’s solution won’t work for every kid, the simplicity of the story keeps it strong, and the text offers a useful starting place for discussion. Lundquist’s gentle watercolor and pencil art uses warm tints of green, peach, blue, and rose to evoke idyllic but simple interiors and landscapes. The trim yet imaginative multicultural child figures in their hooded animal outfits are pretty darn adorable as they cheerfully navigate this world; Cat’s stomping away and brief solo vigil provide heightened drama, therefore, when placed against this sunny backdrop. This may inspire some worthy conversation about friendship and inclusion. JH - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.